Reading, PA – The Reading Royals scored two goals in the first and tied for tops in the North Division with a 2-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers Wednesday at Santander Arena. Reading is 12-7-2-0, tied with Wheeling and Manchester at 26 points.

Nolan Zajac scored three minutes into the first, snapping a five-game scoring drought. Leading scorer Alex Krushelnyski (10 goals) tallied in the final three of the frame to jump Reading ahead by two. The Royals have scored the first goal in 16 games this season, the most of any ECHL team. Reading is 9-0-0-0 when leading after one.

Hunter Fejes recorded the Nailers’ lone tally in the second.

Mark Dekanich (win) denied 26 shots and stopped all eight in the third. Adam Morrison lost with 29 denials.

Reading is on the road this Friday in Adirondack and Saturday at Manchester.

Zajac potted the opening goal in front of the net at 4-on-4 just 2:16 into the game. Ryan Penny swooped to the bottom of the left circle and tossed it to net front. Zajac darted five feet from the cage and slammed it home. He has five goals this season.

Krushelnyski struck next on the power play with 3:33 left in the first. Chris McCarthy shot it off the right post and a generous rebound found Krushelnyski all alone. He has points in three straight games (3g, 2a) since returning on loan from Lehigh Valley. Reading was 1-for-6 on the power play and denied all three Nailers chances.

The Royals outshot Wheeling, 15-5, in the second but yielded the frame’s only goal. Fejes sniped a shot from the deep slot at 4:16 of the frame.

About the Royals
The Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are in their 17th ECHL season. Proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Reading plays in the Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, PA at 700 Penn Street. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and are four-time division champions.

Reading Royals Mobile App

Head to the App Store and Google Play to download the new Reading Royals app on your smartphone! Stay up-to-date with team news, receive notifications and purchase tickets for your next experience at Santander Arena.

Broadcast Coverage

All Royals game can be heard on Rumba 1340 AM and the iHeartRadio app by searching “Rumba 1340”. The pregame show starts 15 minutes before puck drop. Watch Royals games on ECHL.tv. Reading away games are shown locally on BCTV, channel 15 Comcast, channel 19 Service Electric.